[Oe List ...] Fwd: GMCA June 5-6

[David Zahrt via OE]

*Thu JUN 5*—We packed up and drove N on Hwy 69 short of Westcliffe, CO
(7800 ft alt).  Sarah shuttled 4 of us into Westcliffe.  The whole town has
free Internet access.  I checked out the pawnshop and the thrift store for
music equipment.  The thrift store had nothing. The pawnshop had a lovely
acoustic 4-string bass guitar that they wanted $475 for it.  I think I’ll
try making a washtub or 5 gal pail bass.



Izzy arranged a gig for the Great March Gypsy Band. He suggested that I
should come sometime between 4 and 7 PM.  Ed invited me to be a guest on
the Fallon Forum at 5 PM and I accepted.  This is a phone interview for an
hour that he sends to the radio station in Des Moines.  We talked about the
GMCA and also the Loess Hills where I am from.  *[I think you can check it
out on an 800 #--you may have to Google it to get the contact info]*.



I skipped dinner at the camp and got a shuttle into Westcliffe with some of
the other Marchers.  The Band has its own repertoire.  Ed Fallon came later
to the gig with his guitar and accordion.  He invited me to sing *Iowa
Waltz *with him.  The crowd from CO looked astonished.  Since he had the
accordion there, I asked Ed to play *Don’t Fence Me In* as I sang it.  I’m
sure that some in the CO audience were familiar with the song.  I’ll bet
they thought I was singing about CO.  I didn’t bother to tell them that I
was singing about the Loess Hills of Iowa!



Ed knew it was about the Loess Hills because I had indoctrinated him.  When
he was campaigning for governor in the mid 90’s, we donated periodic stays
in our B&B to his campaign. I loved to play the tune on our player piano
and sing *Don’t Fence Me In* for our guests. I informed them that the Loess
Hills were the* “…ridge where the West commences…”*



Izzy promoted the gig as a fundraiser for the March. The café/bar gave us a
20% discount on food and drinks and people there donated about $100.  Some
Marchers then went on to a different bar.  I caught a shuttle back to camp
and went to bed about 9:30.  Later Izzy said the second bar was much better
because they had a mike.  He scheduled another gig for tomorrow night,
again at the first bar.  The March will only progress 15 mi. tomorrow so
the Gypsy Band can do another fundraiser.



*Fri Jun 6*  The March took a little more time to get started in the
morning because so many stayed out late for the 2nd gig.  We moved our
campsite by going up Hwy 69 to Westcliffe and then going through the Wet
Mountains on Hwy 96.  The campsite was in the National Forest. There was a
long road up the hill and few places to put a tent.



I was disappointed with last night because they didn’t have a mike.  I
tried to project my voice but their hall was too big to perform in without
a mike.  After dinner some of us went into Westcliffe again.  Again, there
was no mike so we did the best we could.  The Gypsy Band asked me to sing
my version of *Yesterday*.  Afterwards they sang the Beatles’ version of
it.  Ed went back to camp early so I didn’t get to sing while he played the
accordion.  There were fewer people at the bar than Thursday night, but the
Bar donated $100 to the March.  I got home again at 9:30 and had to set up
my mat and sleeping bag in the dark.




-- 
Peace, David
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